Al-Shamshoon (Arabic: الشمشون) is an adaptation of long-running American TV series The Simpsons for Arab audiences.[1] Airing first in September 2005, the show was produced Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC). Among these changes The Simpsons include name changes, the Homer character not drinking beer, and the removal of references to Judaism.[2]

In order to be effective "Arabized," the showrunners only worked with certain episodes. They opted to start with season 4, skipping the early seasons, and adapted popular episodes like "Sideshow Bob vs Bart." Several early episodes, notably "Homer the Heretic" (which details Homer's dismissal of church and foundation of his own religion after an epiphany) were not adapted.[3]The Simpsons is also not the only American pop culture to be "Arabized" by MBC; popular films like A Bug's Life, which was instead well-received, were also adopted by the same methods.

Ultimately, the series was not well received, and many Western news sources reported on its failure to captivate its audience.[4] While 52 total episodes were made, only 34 were aired before being cancelled, leaving 18 episodes unaired. These episodes haven't resurfaced online, and their whereabouts are unknown.[5]